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HOT TOPICS
ABA Issues White Paper on Trustee’s Role in Asset-Backed Securities
Responding to recent, incorrect media accounts asserting that trustees are responsible for overseeing
mortgage servicers, and mediating between them and investors in securitization deals, ABA issued a press
release on November 9, 2010 publicly releasing a white paper that explains the role of trustees in asset-
backed securities and, in particular, residential mortgage-backed securities. Read the press release. Read
the white paper.
STRUCTURED FINANCE
ABA, ABASA Suggest Changes to Asset-Backed Securities Proposal
ABA and its ABA Securities Association affiliate generally support the need for appropriate disclosures of
repurchase requests involving asset-backed securities, they said in a November 16, 2010 comment letter.
But they suggested modifications to a Securities and Exchange Commission proposal on such disclosures,
required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, that they believe would
provide investors with more useful information about such requests.
The trade groups noted that the SEC proposal would require disclosing a five-year history of repurchase
demands based on the agency’s belief that the Dodd-Frank Act’s Section 943(2) requires retroactive
application. ―ABA and ABASA strongly disagree with that interpretation,‖ they said. ―To the contrary, we
believe that nothing in the statutory language requires retroactive application.‖ The trade groups added that
a retroactive application could mislead investors rather than provide transparency.
ABA and ABASA also pointed out that proposal also does not define a repurchase ―demand.‖ ―We believe
that the only demands that should be disclosed are those that comport with the procedures specified in the
[asset-backed securities’] transaction documents,‖ they said. The trade groups also urged the SEC to
revise its proposal to require asset-back securities issuers to file repurchase information on a quarterly,
rather than monthly basis. Read the letter. Read the proposed rule.
ABASA Weighs In on ABS Due-Diligence Proposal
In related news, in a November 16, 2010 comment letter the ABA Securities Association suggested
changes to an SEC proposal — mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act’s Section 945 — that would require
issuers of asset-backed securities to perform a review of assets underlying the securities and publicly
disclose information relating to the review. The proposal — under the Dodd-Frank Act’s Section 932 — also
would require an issuer or underwriter to make publicly available the findings and conclusions of any third-
party due diligence report.
ABASA, among other things, urged the SEC to clarify that an assets review will meet statutory
requirements if it relates to the quality of the assets in the pool — and not to other types of reports and
opinions that are routinely received as part of the securitization process. ―We further request that the final
rule specify that a review of a statistically significant random sample of pool assets is sufficient, as opposed
to a review of every asset in a pool, which can number in the thousands,‖ ABASA said.
The association also strongly urged the SEC to limit the disclosure of third-party due-diligence report
findings and conclusions under Section 932 to those provided to nationally recognized statistical rating
organizations in connection with rating an asset-backed securities transaction. Read the letter. Read the
proposed rule.
Fed Study: Tailor the Risk Retention Rules to Protect Credit Availability
Regulators should craft new risk-retention rules that are tailored for each class of securitized assets to
avoid reducing the credit supply, the Federal Reserve said in a study released on October 19, 2010. The
report —mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act — stressed that market practices and performance are
significantly different among the nine asset categories it examined. The Act requires the banking regulators
and the Securities and Exchange Commission to jointly implement risk retention requirements for
securitizers or originators of assets-backed securities.
―[S]imple credit risk-retention rules, applied uniformly across assets of all types, are unlikely to achieve the
stated objective of the act — namely to improve the asset-backed securitization process and protect
investors from losses associated with poorly underwritten loans,‖ the study said. The report also included
several factors regulators should consider when crafting risk-retention rules, including their potential effect
on the capacity of smaller market participants to remain active in the securitization market. Read
more. Read the report.
RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE PROCEDURES
Agencies, States Reviewing Mortgage Servicers
In the wake of the temporary moratorium on mortgage foreclosures as a result of flaws in the foreclosure
process, federal bank regulators and the Treasury Department are conducting an in-depth review of
practices at the largest mortgage servicing operations to determine whether systemic weaknesses are
leading to improper foreclosures. Michael Barr, the Treasury’s Department’s assistant secretary for financial
institutions – who is leaving December 3 – said the agency’s foreclosure task force is currently reviewing
large mortgage servicers, and it is focusing primarily on the ―widespread and…inexcusable breakdowns‖ in
documentation standards. The task force, established earlier this fall, will complete its review by the end of
the year and publish its findings in late January, Barr said.
Separately, the ―robo-signing‖ controversy has led to a joint investigation into the mortgage-servicing
industry by the 50 state attorneys general as well as state bank and mortgage regulators. In a joint
statement, the 50-state AG group stated that ―[i]n order to handle this issue in the most efficient and
consistent manner possible, the states have formed a bi-partisan multistate group to address issues
common to a large number of states.‖ Through this process, the states will attempt to speak with one voice
to the greatest extent possible, and will examine whether employees or other lender representatives
routinely signed off on thousands of foreclosure affidavits without verifying the information they contained,
or failed to have the affidavits signed in the presence of a notary. Read the statement.
Fannie, Freddie Place Lenders on Notice in Foreclosure Debacle
In a letter to lenders, government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have warned banks
that they will be on the hook for any losses the two mortgage companies suffer as a result of flaws in the
foreclosure process. The GSEs issued the statements to protect themselves from losses caused by
alleged improper actions in banks’ foreclosure processes — which could otherwise put taxpayers at risk in
a worst case scenario. In their letter to lenders, Fannie and Freddie threatened to penalize thousands of
lenders if they do not rapidly fix the way they seize the homes of borrowers who have missed payments.
Freddie has stated that ―the alleged practices in these reports are clearly not in compliance with Freddie
Mac's guidelines and directives to its servicers.‖
In the letters, Fannie and Freddie are directing all their servicers to immediately undertake a review of their
policies and procedures relating to the execution of affidavits, verifications, and other legal documents in
connection with the default process. If the servicer has any concerns with policies and procedures or their
implementation, the servicer is advised to contact Fannie or Freddie in writing. Read Fannie’s letter. Read
Freddie’s letter.
Bair Suggests Safe-Harbor for Foreclosures
Speaking at a housing finance symposium sponsored jointly by the Federal Reserve and the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation on October 25, 2010, FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair said the ―robo-signing‖
foreclosure controversy and threat of litigation could be addressed in part by all parties agreeing to a safe-
harbor for certain foreclosures. ―Ultimately, this problem will require some type of global solution,‖ Bair said
in speech at the Federal Reserve-FDIC housing finance symposium. ―I would suggest that all interested
parties consider some type of "triage" on foreclosures, perhaps providing safe-harbor relief if the property is
vacant or if the servicer offered a meaningful payment reduction — say a minimum of 25 percent — and the
borrower could still not perform on the loan.‖
Bair also said overly complicated processes and insufficient servicing staff were impeding meaningful loan
restructurings. ―In a larger sense, the robo-signing controversy is just another indication of the need to
improve institutional practices all along the chain of securitization — from origination, to securities
underwriting, to servicing,‖ she said. ―The misaligned incentives that have been built into the securitization
process have left back-office operations far too weak to support a robust system of mortgage finance.‖
Read Bair’s speech.
Speaking at the same conference, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke described ways the Fed is working to
prevent foreclosures and stabilize neighborhoods. The central bank’s efforts include training attorneys in
foreclosure prevention and mitigation, convening experts to help develop policy responses and posting
resources like a Foreclosure Mitigation Toolkit on each Federal Reserve Bank website. These efforts are
cataloged in a new publication, Addressing the Impact of the Foreclosure Crisis.
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES
ABA and ABASA: Time Insufficient to Review SEC Municipal Advisers Rule
There hasn’t been enough time before enactment to review the Securities and Exchange Commission’s
interim final temporary rule requiring municipal advisers to register with the agency, ABA and its ABA
Securities Association affiliate said yesterday in a comment letter.
―[T]he hasty introduction of the rule without accompanying clarification or guidance has created unwelcome
uncertainty,‖ the trade groups said. ―As a consequence, there remain a significant number of issues
outstanding before an institution can determine whether or not they need to register, and what it will mean if
a bank determines it does need to register.‖
ABA and ABASA emphasized that without the clarification of several key terms and an exemption for banks
that offer fiduciary services to municipal entities, the rule is more far-reaching than Congress intended. The
SEC therefore should use its authority to exempt regulated fiduciary banking services from its registration
requirements, they said. Read the letter.
MUTUAL FUNDS
ABA: Moody’s Should Withdraw Proposed New Methodology for Rating MMFs
On November 11, 2010, ABA and its Corporate Trust Committee urged Moody’s Investors Services in a
comment letter to withdraw its proposals for a new methodology to rate money market funds, and for a new
set of rating symbols and definitions for such funds. Moody’s has said that it will not provide an equivalency
chart that compares the existing and proposed symbology, and ABA emphasized that the lack of an
equivalency tool would cause major disruptions in the fund market.
The association added that if Moody’s moved forward with the proposed changes, issuers would face
significant uncertainty and confusion about the changes’ effect on their existing investments in money
market funds. ―We believe … issuers, trustees and the broader market would be better served if Moody’s
holds in abeyance its proposal for a new ratings methodology until such time as the Securities and
Exchange Commission develops rules on ratings symbologies to implement the Dodd-Frank Act,‖ ABA
said. Read the letter.
Working Group Presents Options for Money Market Fund Reform
The President's Working Group on Financial Markets recently released a report that presents a number of
options for further reforming money market funds. The options are intended to address fund vulnerabilities
that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Some of the options include setting up a private emergency
liquidity facility for the funds; requiring that large funds meet redemption requests in kind; and switching
funds to a floating net asset value — or NAV. Switching to a floating NAV “would have potential benefits,
but those benefits would have to be weighed carefully against the risks that such a change would entail,‖
the report said.
MMMF Comment Letter Working Group. The SEC is requesting comment on the options discussed in the
report by January 10, 2011. Read the comment request and the report. To provide input for ABA’s
comment letter, contact Cris Naser.
ABA Seeks Clarifications in Proposed Mutual-Fund Fee Framework
ABA has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission in a comment letter for clarifications in its
proposal to rescind Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act, and replace it with Rule 12b-2, which
would provide a new framework to govern the fees that mutual fund investors pay companies for sales and
marketing.
Under the proposal, Rule 12b-2 would permit funds to deduct a ―marketing and service fee‖ from fund
assets to pay for ―distribution activities.‖ Rule 12b-2 also would cap the marketing and service fee at the
current FINRA Rule 2830 service-fee limit of 25 basis points annually.
―We are concerned about potential misunderstandings regarding the fees that would and would not fit within
the new Rule 12b-2,‖ ABA said. ―It is important that the [SEC] clearly delineate what types of activities are
within the scope of the service-fee limit under FINRA Rule 2830, as well as those activities that are outside
the scope of the service fee limit.‖ Read the letter. Read the proposal.
MISCELLANEOUS
IRS Issues Final Rules on New Basis Reporting Requirement
The Internal Revenue Service has issued final regulations requiring brokers — including corporate trustees
— to report the adjusted cost basis of customer equity securities transactions on IRS Form 1099-B. Brokers
also must transfer the adjusted cost basis and other pertinent information to other banks or brokers if the
customer moves the account. The new reporting requirements apply to equity securities sold after Jan. 1,
2011. In an accompanying release, the IRS also provided penalty relief during 2011 for brokers who fail to
properly furnish a transfer statement to a receiving broker. Read more. Read the final regulations. Read
the transitional relief notice.
ABA Dodd-Frank Resources for Bankers
ABA Launches Special Site to Track Dodd-Frank Implementation
ABA on November 17, 2010, launched a new online resource — the ABA Dodd-Frank Tracker —
to help bankers keep up with the wide range of Dodd-Frank Act implementation issues. The site,
which uses blog technology, enables bankers to follow specific Dodd-Frank Act issues, provides an
archive of ABA’s work during the implementation process, and highlights the expanding resources
the association offers its members. Features of the tracker include news stories on Dodd-Frank Act
proposals, comment letters and rules; a calendar of comment letter deadlines; and links to ABA
resources. Visitors can sign up to receive updates — via e-mail or RSS — as new content is
posted. Visit the Dodd-Frank Tracker.
Dodd-Frank Act on ABA.com
Looking for Dodd-Frank Act developments on www.aba.com? DFA-related items are now marked
on ABA's Center for Regulatory Compliance website and on ABA's 2010 Regulatory Chart .
ABA also recently created a Final Rules Chart that lists all proposals on which the ABA has
prepared comments and a final rule has been issued. DFA developments are included in the final
rules chart, regardless of whether or not ABA filed comments on the proposal.
ABA Publishes Dodd-Frank Act Executive Overview
ABA has published on aba.com a new executive overview of the Dodd-Frank Act’s key elements
that will be implemented over the next several months. Since digesting all of the act’s 2,319 pages
is a challenge for anyone, ABA has provided the executive overview to help bank leadership get an
overall perspective on how the act is scheduled to unfold, with a focus on the elements that
particularly apply to the banking industry.
The overview includes the names of the lead ABA experts, whom bankers can contact for more
detailed information and also for their views and input. ABA will continue to develop information
relevant to the Dodd-Frank Act implementation issues and post it at www.aba.com/regreform.
Read the executive overview.
Continuing Education Reporting Due January 31, 2011
If you’ve earned any continuing education credits in 2010 you should report these credits by January 31,
2011 as part of your requirement for your three-year reporting period. You can report these credits online
at www.icbmembers.org. If your three-year continuing education (CE) reporting period ends this year,
please make sure you have submitted any credits earned between 2008 and 2010 by January 31, 2011. If
you’re not sure when your reporting period ends, log on to www.icbmembers.org and select ―My
Continuing Education Credits‖ for a record of CE reported to ICB that includes your reporting period. Click
here for a 6-page document that summarizes how to submit your continuing education (CE) online. Click
here for more information about how to maintain your credential. Contact ICB at icb@aba.com or 202-663-
5092 if you forgot your member number of have additional questions.
ABA Video Showcases Member Benefits
How are your peers using their ABA membership to make them more successful? Find out by watching a
brief video in which bankers talk about how they have put ABA products, services and staff to work for
them. Bankers are encouraged to share this video with fellow bankers and with their employees to ensure
all corners of the bank take advantage of ABA's extensive member resources. Watch the video.
The Corporate Trust News newsletter is a service of the American Bankers Association and its Center for
Securities, Trust & Investment. The American Bankers Association established the Center for Securities,
Trust and Investments in 1999 to assist members engaged in fiduciary and asset management services.
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